Noted as one of the greatest scientific minds of the 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton was born on January 4, 1643 in Woolsthorpe, England (although some sources say his actual birthday was on Christmas Day in 1642). He attended Cambridge University in 1661, which was where he truly honed his interest in the fields of mathematics, optics, physics and astronomy.

In 1687, Newton published ‘Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica’ (‘Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy’), which is widely regarded as the most influential book on physics. This is where he highlights his Universal Law of Gravitation, which he allegedly discovered when an apple fell on his head from an apple tree.

Newton’s scientific peers held him in extremely high esteem; he was elected the president of the Royal Society in 1703 and knighted in 1705. According to most reports, Sir Isaac Newton died on March 31, 1727, although some accounts say that he died on March 20 of the same year.